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Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st Edition
Oriental Adventures
ORIENTAL ADVENTURES Mini Manual Limited Ed. AD&D Advanced Dungeons & Dragons tsr SIZE 4x3
144 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1985
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
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March 18, 2017Woke up, got laid and later found this book at one of those Little Free Library boxes in my neighborhood. I'm living in the geeksta's paradise!!!
February 28, 2017
One of the most beautiful references, particularly in the area of layout and consistent interior art. As if they had one artist do the arms, and another do the rest. This was a must have book that generated excitement for the game. So why not five stars? Alas, I no longer refer to it for game ideas.
August 28, 2018
Nice reference book for an alternate cultural setting for you campaigns. Good source material and well laid out. Recommended for gamers
April 11, 2012
good read at the time haven't read it in a while.
April 10, 2017
My friends and I played the hell out of this when we were younger.
June 19, 2010
One of the First edition books that I have "in general" incorporated into my 2nd edition campaign. I still enjoy D&D after all these years (I started back in 1978) and have played as player and Dungeon Master. I really wasn't taken by the later editions (3 and beyond). I've recently started another game....but went back to 2nd edition (tracking down books at used book stores). This is an interesting book and some of the characters I like well enough to use in my own game. I don't use the actual setting, but the characters (like the monk who is already in the general game) can work fairly well with just a little work.
July 23, 2017
Definitely a gateway into oriental weapons and culture, along with Japanese and Chinese mythology.
August 2, 2023
By the time OA was released in 1985 I'd been playing AD&D perhaps two years, having the main rulebooks and then prioritising FF,MM2, and subsequently Unearthed Arcana which gave so many unbalanced options my 14y old brain was more than happy. Given we also played other TTRPGs, and bought classic modules there wasn't really the finance for a book that was 'a variant' as it seemed quite removed from the core DnD world of orcs, treasure, and Tolkein rip offs. Finally one of my mates had bought Bushido and we got our ninja/Ronin/katana fix from that.
So happily now, almost forty years later, I've got hold of a copy and read it eagerly. Although Gary Gygax is listed as main author and is the name on the cover (which is a stunning Jeff Easley) I get the sense Zeb Cook did much of the legwork here as only some of Gygax's style and verbose prose comes across. Whoever did the bulk, they did a fascinating job of presenting a distinctly different world to standard DnD, as well as some mechanics that would evolve significantly in the late 80s and make it into 2nd edition (which I never bought).
Much of the book replicates the PHB, with only the latter third feeling particular to DMs. Three unique races are given as are ten classes (with the ninja class being a type of multi-class). The classes have clear parallels with traditional PHB/UA classes although some are more unique (the Kensai) and some a well adapted version (the monk and the barbarian). I'd forgotten how cluttered and dense the traditional AD&D layout could get vs. the more modern offerings of 5th. There's some great touches in here, like the samurai rigid code, the kensai's challenges, the pacifism of the shukenja, and the utter secrecy of the ninja. Given the popularity of the ninja in the 80s I'm not sure how that would translate into a standard five player game back in the day as I imagine half your players would want to be one, all needing to keep it totally secret. I imagine lots of handwaving by DMs.
There's a ki mechanic in many classes which felt under developed, and perhaps a little off balance, and latterly would become intrinsic to the monk.
There's then a few flavour sections with focus on family/caste (very good), honour (good idea, but again curious how it worked in game), and proficiencies. This latter section was a big step forward, and would be added to in Dungeoneers and Wilderness Survival guides. Although clunky in places, they were a welcome way of adding texture to your character beyond the basic profession table in the DMG, and were an intrinsic mechanic in the martial arts section. Definitely a welcome addition and one that I assume evolved through 2/3/4th editions into the prominence in 5th.
The equipment and weapons are given an Oriental facelift (in some cases a re-name), as is the component armour idea which I've never seen in DnD (more of a Runequest thing). The illustrations were a huge help
Spells are well done, with replication of PHB ones in brief form, and detail for the new ones. There's some great ones in here that I might re-skin for 5th edition (I love Cloud Trapeze!).
The combat section has some detailed rules on horseback combat, as well as the rather flavoured 'psychic duel' (making me think of films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), and finally Martial Arts. This section feels a little confused, but it maybe that I'd need to read it a few more times over. It's something I'd have loved to play in the day. You can see parts been taken for later editions of the monk's abilities.
The DM orientated section at the end is pretty decent. The events and calendar part is good material for a campaign, and possibly useful even now. The monsters are great, and many are conversion worthy. The angry spirit tied to a material object is a great concept, as are the animal generals of the celestial court. Magic items are a little underwhelming, with some flavour (like seals which players name is put onto, temple bells and gongs, and magic origami!!).
Finally, Kara Tur gets its first mention. Subsequently shoe-horned in Forgotten Realms, this setting became synonymous with OA and it's latter iterations in 2nd and 3rd (although I think they then had an Empire of five petals or something). In theory it's still there in late 15th century FR, although rarely noted in products.
Judging by modern standards (probably a mistake), OA might feel rather culturally insensitive in its boiling down of (admittedly cool) oriental stereotypes into a game system. Indeed, I couldn't see this joining Ebberon, Spelljammer or Planescape as settings WotC would update. It would create such Uber levels of angst about wording and phrasing and sensitivity that they simply won't bother (like Dark Sun I imagine). But I honestly feel that in its time it was a genuine attempt to write a system that took the aspects of far east fantasy and legend and made them into a DnD campaign setting. Perhaps they played to stereotype, but I think it was borne from a respect of the setting and culture, and not just appealing to white American gamer boys of the 80s. Judged by the time, I enjoyed it as a solid setting/adaptation, or what we'd call a very good splat book.
I'm holding off completing the hardback set with Wilderness, Dragonlance, and Manual of the Planes and instead starting to purchase old modules. Onto A1 next...
So happily now, almost forty years later, I've got hold of a copy and read it eagerly. Although Gary Gygax is listed as main author and is the name on the cover (which is a stunning Jeff Easley) I get the sense Zeb Cook did much of the legwork here as only some of Gygax's style and verbose prose comes across. Whoever did the bulk, they did a fascinating job of presenting a distinctly different world to standard DnD, as well as some mechanics that would evolve significantly in the late 80s and make it into 2nd edition (which I never bought).
Much of the book replicates the PHB, with only the latter third feeling particular to DMs. Three unique races are given as are ten classes (with the ninja class being a type of multi-class). The classes have clear parallels with traditional PHB/UA classes although some are more unique (the Kensai) and some a well adapted version (the monk and the barbarian). I'd forgotten how cluttered and dense the traditional AD&D layout could get vs. the more modern offerings of 5th. There's some great touches in here, like the samurai rigid code, the kensai's challenges, the pacifism of the shukenja, and the utter secrecy of the ninja. Given the popularity of the ninja in the 80s I'm not sure how that would translate into a standard five player game back in the day as I imagine half your players would want to be one, all needing to keep it totally secret. I imagine lots of handwaving by DMs.
There's a ki mechanic in many classes which felt under developed, and perhaps a little off balance, and latterly would become intrinsic to the monk.
There's then a few flavour sections with focus on family/caste (very good), honour (good idea, but again curious how it worked in game), and proficiencies. This latter section was a big step forward, and would be added to in Dungeoneers and Wilderness Survival guides. Although clunky in places, they were a welcome way of adding texture to your character beyond the basic profession table in the DMG, and were an intrinsic mechanic in the martial arts section. Definitely a welcome addition and one that I assume evolved through 2/3/4th editions into the prominence in 5th.
The equipment and weapons are given an Oriental facelift (in some cases a re-name), as is the component armour idea which I've never seen in DnD (more of a Runequest thing). The illustrations were a huge help
Spells are well done, with replication of PHB ones in brief form, and detail for the new ones. There's some great ones in here that I might re-skin for 5th edition (I love Cloud Trapeze!).
The combat section has some detailed rules on horseback combat, as well as the rather flavoured 'psychic duel' (making me think of films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), and finally Martial Arts. This section feels a little confused, but it maybe that I'd need to read it a few more times over. It's something I'd have loved to play in the day. You can see parts been taken for later editions of the monk's abilities.
The DM orientated section at the end is pretty decent. The events and calendar part is good material for a campaign, and possibly useful even now. The monsters are great, and many are conversion worthy. The angry spirit tied to a material object is a great concept, as are the animal generals of the celestial court. Magic items are a little underwhelming, with some flavour (like seals which players name is put onto, temple bells and gongs, and magic origami!!).
Finally, Kara Tur gets its first mention. Subsequently shoe-horned in Forgotten Realms, this setting became synonymous with OA and it's latter iterations in 2nd and 3rd (although I think they then had an Empire of five petals or something). In theory it's still there in late 15th century FR, although rarely noted in products.
Judging by modern standards (probably a mistake), OA might feel rather culturally insensitive in its boiling down of (admittedly cool) oriental stereotypes into a game system. Indeed, I couldn't see this joining Ebberon, Spelljammer or Planescape as settings WotC would update. It would create such Uber levels of angst about wording and phrasing and sensitivity that they simply won't bother (like Dark Sun I imagine). But I honestly feel that in its time it was a genuine attempt to write a system that took the aspects of far east fantasy and legend and made them into a DnD campaign setting. Perhaps they played to stereotype, but I think it was borne from a respect of the setting and culture, and not just appealing to white American gamer boys of the 80s. Judged by the time, I enjoyed it as a solid setting/adaptation, or what we'd call a very good splat book.
I'm holding off completing the hardback set with Wilderness, Dragonlance, and Manual of the Planes and instead starting to purchase old modules. Onto A1 next...
May 14, 2019
A great and abundant reference to another culture, and being slapped in next to Forgotten Realms allows even more ease of access. Just don't let all those overpowered martial-arts master kensais into Waterdeep.
August 5, 2020
I’ve just reread it again after decades since I’ve first played it, and it’s still holding up. As an oriental setting I prefer Legend of the Five Rings now, but within D&D, this is as good as it gets.
October 11, 2007
I liked the honor system in the book.
June 15, 2013
See my review for the Dungeon Master's Guide.
August 20, 2023
yet another tome of over-complicated information, brought into Grade School history class level dustiness and desert dryness by E. Gads - I mean E. Gary Gygax. This man's writing style was pompous, racist in places, arrogant, and ridiculous. Wading through this work was a special sort of torture, madee bearable (barely) by the occasional nugget of useful gaming information.
June 20, 2008
I LOVE NINJAS!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews